Neighbours 'putting first time buyers off purchases'

13-Jun-2007

Neighbours who do not maintain their properties to satisfactory levels are putting first time buyers off from purchasing homes, it has been revealed.

Research from Legal & General has found that 89 per cent of respondents said they would think twice about buying a home if the appearance of a neighbouring property was not to their liking.

Poor decoration was cited as an issue by over a fifth of respondents, with 42 per cent saying they would be put off by unkempt gardens next door.

Broken windows and a tendency to hold load parties were also significant grievances among potential homeowners, the survey found.

"Property is one of the major investments we make and with more people struggling to get on the property ladder the research would indicate that we are still very fussy about where we want to live […] Who we may be living next door to is now a key consideration. It is interesting how much influence our neighbours can have on this key investment decision," commented Ruth Wilkins of Legal & General.

"Threats of court action frequently lead to neighbours taking up entrenched positions rather than establishing a friendly relationship and communication," Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) spokesperson Andrew Thompson advised this week.

2008: May | Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan

2007: Dec | Nov | Oct | Sep | Aug | Jul | Jun | May | Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan

2006: Dec | Nov | Oct | Sep | Aug | Jul | Jun | May | Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan

2005: Dec | Nov | Oct | Sep | Aug | Jul | Jun | May | Apr | Mar